Thousands of pro-democracy activists marked the 31st anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution that ousted President Ferdinand Marcos Saturday with a warning against what they say are President Duterte’s dictatorial tendencies.
The activists gathered at the People Power Monument on EDSA in Quezon City where millions of Filipinos converged in the largely peaceful uprising.
They condemned the thousands of killings of mostly poor drug suspects in a brutal crackdown Duterte ordered shortly after he took office in June and other policy changes, including his call for the re-imposition of the death penalty, preferably by public hanging.
A much larger rally in support of Duterte and his crackdown on illegal drugs was held at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, where police estimated the crowd to have surpassed more than 200,000. Many of the demonstrators arrived in buses and jeeps with local officials.
“This is proof of the real People Power,” Communications Secretary Andanar told the crowd.
The National Capitol Region Police Office estimated the crowd that had gathered at Luneta as of 10 p.m. Saturday at around 215,000. Part of the group staged an overnight vigil.
NCRPO spokesperson Chief Inspector Kimberly Molitas said the program was peaceful and orderly with no significant untoward incident reported.
Similar rallies were held in key cities like Laoag and Davao. (AP and PNA)
